Bob Baffert
It's been an up-and-down stretch of late for the Bob Baffert barn, but the classy 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie finished the week on a high note for the Hall of Famer. Making his first start since an 11th-place finish in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 29, and first over track and trip since he romped in the 2018 GI Malibu S., the bay settled in widest and last of a compact field as stablemate Ax Man (Misremembered) showed the way. Given his cue to inch closer into a :46.13 half,...
Improbable gave the Bob Baffert a measure of consolation following Authentic (Into Mischief)'s defeat in the GI Santa Anita Derby, winning the GI Hollywood Gold Cup in a common gallop as the 6-5 favorite. Sent along by Drayden Van Dyke to stalk a steady pace set by longshot Brown Storm (Chi) (Scat Daddy) from second, the $110,000 Keeneland November weanling and $200,000 Keeneland September yearling traveled well within himself through the middle stages before being sent into the lead at the three-eighths pole. While he was traveling supremely well, he...
Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) will be forced to miss the June 20 GI Belmont S.--and likely the rest of the Triple Crown--due to a minor ankle injury, per trainer Bob Baffert. The story was first reported by the Paulick Report. "I feel like I just went a few rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson," Baffert told the TDN just after watching one of his other top sophomores, the previously unbeaten Authentic (Into Mischief), finished second in the GI Santa Anita Derby. "It was tough and I'm sad...
6th-Santa Anita, $51,000, Msw, 6-6, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.13, ft. CEZANNE (c, 3, Curlin--Achieving, by Bernardini) topped last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale at $3.65-million after breezing in :10 flat (see below) and started off his career on the right hoof here with a debut graduation. Away well from the one-hole, the hulking bay engaged in a three-way battle for second, hot on the leader's heels through a :22.19 opening quarter, Drawing even with the pacesetter on the backstretch, the 2-5 chalk shrugged off his stubborn foe in mid-stretch and rolled...
Three-time Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) returns to action against four rivals in Sunday's GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita. Beaten 28 lengths when last seen in the $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, McKinzie is two-for-two at this seven-furlong distance, including a win in Santa Anita's GI Malibu S. in 2018. The 2019 GI Whitney S. hero was second-best in several high-profile races term, led by the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. and GI Santa Anita H. McKinzie, trained by Hall...
A four-time Grade I winner in training at Santa Anita under Bob Baffert, an undefeated homebred Triple Crown hopeful, and a two-year-old named a 'TDN Rising Star' after winning on debut by almost nine lengths. This year, Street Sense is a stallion sales manager's dream. The champion juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby winner's race record speaks for itself, but now his top progeny are looking to make this their sire's biggest year yet. Street Sense spent a year in Japan in 2013 after starting off his first five years at...
6th-SA, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 6:03 p.m. ET CEZANNE (Curlin), the second-highest-priced 2-year-old to sell at public auction when bringing $3.65 million (:10) at last year's Fasig-Tipton March sale, makes his long-awaited debut after a string of works highlighted by a bullet :47 3/5 half (1/47) last Saturday. Sharing a name with the French post-impressionist artist, the colt looks to match his career to the masterpiece that is his pedigree. Third dam, 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), sold for a world-record $14 million at...
Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Matt Winn Results - Ny Traffic was second best. Bankroll: $2765. GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby - I picked Honor A. P. in the San Felipe and see no reason to get off him here with...
Peter Callahan's streaking Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) headlines a compact field of five set for Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks. The rail-drawn chestnut ships in from trainer Ken McPeek's Kentucky base after posting a pair of impressive upsets in the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28 and GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn May 1, respectively. She earned a field-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure after stalking and pouncing and defeating the talented Venetian Harbor (Munnings) by 2 1/2 lengths in the latter. Hall of Famer Mike Smith picks up the mount...
West Coast heavyweights Authentic (Into Mischief) and Honor A.P. (Honor Code) meet for round two in a highly anticipated renewal of Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Authentic made it a perfect three-for-three for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, posting a powerful 2 1/4-length wire-to-wire decision over Honor A.P. in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7. He previously aired by 7 3/4 lengths over stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver), a next out winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Feb. 15, in the GIII Sham S....
The unexpected death of Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) on Tuesday was a devastating blow to his connections at Juddmonte and to the industry at large. He was the horse that Juddmonte had expected to base its boutique North American stallion operation around and he was the last great hope that his late sire would deliver a top-of-the-line stallion, something Unbridled's Song has been unable to do yet during an illustrious career as an excellent sire of racehorses, including 22 Grade l winners, and an outstanding sire of broodmares. Those expectations have...
B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm has acquired a majority ownership interest in 3-year-old colt Authentic (Into Mischief--Flawless, by Mr. Greeley), the undefeated GI Kentucky Derby contender who is set to go postward as the likely favorite in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby. Spendthrift joins forces with Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, which have both retained an ownership interest in the undefeated colt. SF Racing, Fred Hertrich, John Fielding and Golconda Stables--all part of the original ownership group--have sold their respective interests in Authentic. "We are very excited to join an...